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What to do in Palermo when it rains

Rain does not cancel Palermo: its finest things are already indoors. The gold mosaics of the Cappella Palatina and the Martorana, the museums at Palazzo Abatellis and the Salinas, the stucco of the Baroque oratories do not need the sun.

Below is an indoor route that fills a whole day, and further down every indoor place, sorted by how far it is from you. In the planner you can choose "Indoors only": the outdoor stops drop out and the walks between stops stay short.

An indoor route

  1. Palazzo dei Normanni e Cappella Palatina

    The palace of the Norman kings, now the seat of the Sicilian regional parliament. Inside is the Cappella Palatina, covered entirely in 12th-century gold mosaics: the stop that makes the day on its own. Allow at least an hour and a half.

  2. Cattedrale di Palermo

    The cathedral mixes Arab, Norman, Gothic and Neoclassical. Inside are the royal tombs, Frederick II's among them, and the treasury. Keep the rooftop terraces for a dry day.

  3. Chiesa della Martorana

    A small church with the most refined Byzantine mosaics in the city, next to red-domed San Cataldo on Piazza Bellini. Half an hour is enough, though it is hard to leave.

  4. Museo Archeologico Antonio Salinas

    The archaeological museum, in a former convent near the Teatro Massimo, holds the metopes from the temples of Selinunte and finds from all of ancient Sicily. An hour and a half under a roof, around a central cloister.

  5. Palazzo Abatellis

    The Regional Gallery of Sicily, in a Catalan-Gothic palace in the Kalsa. It holds the vast Triumph of Death fresco and Antonello da Messina's Annunciata, one of the most famous portraits in Italy.

  6. Oratorio di San Lorenzo

    An oratory decorated entirely in Giacomo Serpotta's stucco. Caravaggio's Nativity hung over the altar until it was stolen in 1969 and never found; a faithful reproduction is there today.

  7. Teatro Massimo

    Italy's largest opera house can be visited by day on a guided tour: the auditorium, the royal box, the Pompeian room and its acoustics. If there is a performance that evening, it is the best way to end a rainy day.

  8. Antica Focacceria San Francesco

    Lunch under a roof: a historic focacceria on Piazza San Francesco serving pane con la milza, panelle and arancine at a table.

In the form, choose "Indoors only": outdoor stops drop out and the walks between stops stay short.

Plan an indoor walk

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Every indoor place in Palermo

Frequently asked questions

What is there to see in Palermo when it rains?

Palazzo dei Normanni with the Cappella Palatina, the Martorana, the Cathedral, Palazzo Abatellis, the Salinas museum and Serpotta's oratories: all indoors, and all a few minutes' walk from each other.

How do I plan a route that stays indoors?

In the planner choose "Indoors only (rain)", or just write "it's raining" in your sentence. Outdoor stops are left out and the order follows opening hours.

And with children?

The puppet museum and the puppet theatre are indoors and work for every age. More ideas are on the page about what to do in Palermo with children.

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